hilltopics
wednesday ◀
10.28.98
six.a ◀
daily kansan
ome-grown fear
Ten miles west of Lawrence Stull captivates imaginations
Going to Hell? Go 10 miles west along W. 6th St. and watch for the Stull sign. But be careful; traipsing through the cemetery is considered trespassing after dark. Beware of the barbed-wire fence surrounding the church.
Tombstones scatter the hill surrounding the Stull Church. AT LEFT: Additional tombstones and views of the run-down church.
stories by lori o'toole ● photos by bryan volk
n entrance to hell, a haunted church and a hexed cemetery can all be found 10 miles west of Lawrence in the tiny town of Stull.
Or so the rumors say.
Or so the rumors say. KU students have been talking about the possessed church for decades and have been traveling the short distance to attempt to catch a glimpse of dancing demons or at least to see what the all the fuss is about.
An old church without a roof and crumbling walls— shelter now only to some trees small wild animals and litter— can be seen from county road 442. It rests at the top of Emmanuel Hill, where the small Stull Cemetery is located. Tombstones more than 100 years old cover the hill.
"It's kind of creepy, even in the light of day," said Jennifer Cooke, Manhattan senior, who has made the trin.
Located near Topeka,
Stull shares the capital's 666 ZIP code prefix, which provides an additional rumor for the cause of demonic activity.
Contrary to some belief, the church was abandoned in 1922 when the Stull Church congregation outgrew the building, not because of mysterious fires or an unmerciful witch murder trial.
Rumors of the town's original name of Skull are
false. Stull, before being named after postmaster Sylvester Stull in 1899, was Deer Creek Community.
Although the history and postal reference to the town can be documented, the hearsey is more difficult to prove one way or another.
"I've just heard it's sort of freaky," said Colin McGrath, Topeka senior. "There's supposedly some old building with a circle of death. My friends just told me not to go up there because it's not supposed to be good stuff."
Stull, who gets teased about her last name because of the myths, said she has heard rumors from friends about strange happenings there.
Shannon Stull, Lawrence senior, who says she is of no relation to Sylvester, said the town is "a cute little place, really desolate and quaint."
"I didn't get any bad vibe or anything when I drove through there," she said. "But if you're up there at Halloween you're supposed to hear noises or see ghosts."
"I've heard from friends that it's one of the seven gateways to hell and that satanic rituals have occurred there," Cooke said.
Students, who have been blamed for the creation of the myths, are a big factor to why the rumors have continued.
In 1997, Heitz wrote of supposed appearances of the devil, close encounters and KU student rumors. However, she also points out that an old road, Devil's Lane, existed in Stull as early as 1905, adding to the long list of strange coincidences.
Some of the rumors have been captured in the book "Haunted Kansas" by Lisa Hefner Heitz. Watkins Library has a copy, and it has been part of Halloween displays in area bookstores.
The book also tells that the town received national publicity when it was featured in an Urge Overkill song, Stull (Part One), in 1992, and has also been included in issues of "Haunted Places; The National Directory and Ghost Trackers Newsletter."
Although knowledge of the spooky town
has been spread across the country, many KU students have never heard of it, especially those from out of state, such as Bentonville, Ark, freshman Christina Murphy.
"I think every town has their own little superstition of some kind, so it didn't strike me in any way," she said. "Everywhere you go you're going to find something like that. It's kind of fun to goo around with, but I don't believe in any of that stuff."
However, others have grown up hearing of and wondering about the stories.
McGrath, a graduate of Topeka West High School, said he heard about the church and hauntings during high school, when visiting Stull was the thing to do.
And apparently KU students have made it an activity as well.
"I remember a girlfriend of mine went there and she said there were a lot of people there partying," Stull said.
Vandalism, noise, trespassing and destruction of headstones in the cemetery have caused problems for
the small community. A chain-link fence with "no trespassing" signs posted on it has enclosed Emmanuel Hill.
"It was put up for security purposes," said Kenny Massey, under sheriff for the Douglas County Sheriff's Department.
Although the fence has not been enough to keep people out, those who are caught risking their safety to see some supernatural may get a scary penalty instead.
Massey said. "We put them in jail and then it's up to the court."
"Anybody that's caught there is arrested for criminal trespassing,"
He said that although it is patrolled daily, deputies carefully watch the area during Halloween.
However, the possible repercussions do not always sway the curious. McGrath, who has never been there himself, said he may visit Stull sometime.
"I doubt anything would happen," he said. "It's probably all just rumors—I think."
Haunting hot spots in the area
legends of ghosts and hauntings are fairly common in Lawrence and the surrounding areas. Apparitions, both friendly and frightening, have been rumored for years.
According to the 1997 book "Haunted Kansas" by Lisa Hefner Heitz, the following are some of the Lawrence area's tales and rumors of the supernatural.
Lawrence
The University of Kansas' Sigma Nu house, 1501 Sigma Nu Place, has its own haunting legend. In 1911, a young girl named Virginia was found.
hanged on the third story of the house. Her cremated remains were stored behind a plaque in a fireplace.
The fraternity house belonged to then-Kansas Gov. Walter Stubbs. It was believed that Virginia may have been his ward, and that Stubbs or his wife were somehow involved with her death.
The details of her death have never been discovered.
Virginia is rumored to have made occasional appearances in the house, or at least make some noise with her footsteps
Chuck Henderson, Overland Park senior and president of Sigma Nu, said that although he has never found proof of Virginia's presence, he has heard stories about her actions in the music room. Virginia's ashes are stored in one of the music room's walls.
or by rattling doorknobs. However, the haunting does not always occur around Halloween, but sometimes in April , which is the anniversary of her death.
"A few years ago at our house, some people were studying in the music room, and a wood paneling piece right in front of where her ashes are fell off the wall. Everyone says, 'Oh, it's Virginia.' It's happened a couple of times." Henderson said.
"Jokingly or not, people do talk about seeing and hearing things. It's a neat story and it makes us unique compared to other structures on campus."
Manhattan
favorite show, Star Trek. One of the hospital's nurses also is said to accompany
Kansas State University, has a fraternity house with haunting legend. The Delta Sigma Phi house, which was Saint Mary's Hospital until 1955, is said to be inhabited by the hospital's last patient, George, who died of suffocation in the hospital. Rumors continue to circulate about his cries for help at night and his turning on the TV in order to watch his
JOHN DANN
BORN
APRIL 27, 1820
DIED
JAN 14, 1899
MARY
WIFE OF
JOHN DANN
BORN
FEB-2, 1829
DEED
SEPT 10, 1893
George in his hauntings.
Manhattan's Town Center Mall stands on the site of what used to be Swanson's Bakery. The bakery's owner reported that the shop was haunted by a friendly ghost, nicknamed Herbie, who enjoyed pranks such as blowing on the necks of employees and hiding cooking equipment. Before the bakery's demolition, the owner said he hoped that Herbie could find a new home in the mall.
Topeka
The Albino Woman, an evil-looking lady with pale skin, long stringy white hair and pink or red eyes, supposedly haunts Rochester Cemetery and the surrounding areas. She has been described as both a harmless apparition and a vicious ghost capable of murder. She is said to be the spirit of a former Topeka resident.
Leavenworth
The building at 632 Thomas Ave. is rumored to be haunted by Father Fred, a Catholic priest who died in a fire in 1875. Residents have told stories of hearing him mending clothing on a sewing machine. He also is rumored to be a party-going ghost, and Heitz wrote that Father Fred's image even has appeared in the background of a recent photograph.
Catherine Sutter is a pioneer mother who die of pneumonia in 1880 after her two children, Ethan and Mary, were lost. She supposedly can be seen at night around town, carrying an old lantern and calling their names in hopes of finding them.
The Lady in Black who lives at 18 Sumner Place has been known to watch over families and read bedtime stories to children. Some believe she and Sutler are the same spirit because they exhibit similar motherly instincts.
- The General's Quarters at 1 Scott Ave. is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of George Armstrong Custer, a lieutenant from the late 1800s. He is said to roam the area.
A house known as the Rookery at 14 Sumner Place, the oldest house in Kansas (built in 1832), is said to be haunted by several ghosts that have appeared to residents during the years. One ghost is described as a ferocious woman with long fingernails who rushes at people and another is an old man who wakes early while they sleep.
people while they sleep.
The house at 605 McClellan St. is said to be haunted by several ghosts, including a man with white hair and a white mustache whose face appears in a burning fire, and a tall this man wearing an Army uniform.
STULL (PART I)
Urge Overkill
Forty miles west of Kansas City
Kansas City
Down a county road like
a lonely soul
I see Sharon and I see
Jack
It's me and roman
weared in black.
Tell my bride to bury me
in Stull ...
Don't be afraid,
Don't be afraid,
It's great
mrtty-seven, 17, six miles to Stull
In the dark I see the sign — six more miles to Stull
I see Sharon and I see Jack
It's me and roman dressed in black.
Tell my bride to bury me in Stull ...
Don't be afraid,
Don't be afraid,
It's great.
Sixty-five, 50, 44, 30 miles to go
In the night I see the sign — six miles to Stull
Forties west of Kansas City
She said that she had come in white to meet me
I see Sharon and I see Jack
It's me and roman weared in black.
Tell my bride to bury me in Stull ...
Don't be afraid,
Don't be afraid,